Vacuum cleaner



Sept. 2 1924.

- w. s SUTTON VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 2. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l I 0W5fan f 0 rrzey Sept. 2 1924. 1,507,010

W. S. SUTTON VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 2, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Sept. 2 1924. 1,507,010

W. S. SUTTON VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 2. i921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedSept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES I 1,507,010 PATENT, o FrcE.

WILLIAM S. SUTTON, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN RADIATORCOMPANY. OFOHICAGO. ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VACUUM CLEANER.

Application filed June 2, 1921. Serial No. 474,422.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. SU'rroN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Cleaners, of whichthe following is a full,- clear, concise, and exactdescription,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a art of thisspecification. 1

y invention relates to improvements in vacuum cleaners and has for oneof its principal objects, the construction of a vacuum cleaner whichshall be more readily assembled than thg devices heretofore made; whichshall be more easily handled than the devices heretofore made; and whichshall be simpler in construction.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention I have illustrated oneembodiment in the accompanying-drawings in which:

F ig. l is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is longitudinal sectional View;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 4-4. of Fig. 3;

Fig.5 is a detail sectional view showing the means of holding the sidepanels in position; on line 5-5 Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the frame.

In the embodiment illustrated, I provide for supporting and carrying thevarious parts of the apparatus, a frame work consisting of two sideframes, each side frame comprising a front post 1 and a rear post 2preferably formed of angle iron, and a plurality of horizontallydisposed bracing and supporting bars, preferably in the form of angleirons, extending longitudinally between these posts. The top angle iron3 has one side 4 extending vertically, and the opposite side 5 arrangedat the bottom and extending horizontally and inwardly,-and is securedbetween the front and rear posts by means of corner braces 6 which arepreferably spot welded in position. The first intermediate bracinghorizontal bar 7 is reversed in position, i. e., the horizontal side 8is at the top, while the vertical side extends downwardly, andthis baris likewise secured to the front and rear posts by means of braces 9' atits corners which are preferably spot welded-to the respective parts.The second, intermediate bar 10 as well as the bottom bar 11 is securedin the same manner as the top bar 3. The purpose of the disposition ofthese angles will more readily appear hereinafter. 1

Extending between the two side frames at the bottom, is a cross member12 taking the form of an angle and which provi es a mounting member forthe rear caster 13 upon which the frame rests. Corner braces spot weldedin position fast-en this cross member to the corner post at the frontend of the frame and between the side members l0 and 11 I connect a pairof vertical plates 14 which provide means for "securing in position thefront wheels 15 of the device. The axles 16 of these wheels pass throughopenings 17 inthe-plates and the wheels are secured in position on theaxle by any suitable means such, for instance, as cotter pins, nuts, orthe like. It will be'noted that in addition to the axle openings 17 Iprovide a second opening 18 so that in theevent it is'desirable tostationarily mount the apparatus, legs 19 may be substituted for thewheels, bolts for securing the legs in position passing through theopenings 20 and, 21 in the legs and through.

the opening 17 and 18 in the side plates. When such legs are substitutedfor the wheels, the caster 13 is removed and the rear leg 21 secured inposition in place thereof.

The separatorfor the cleaner is mounted at the forward end of the framework above described, and comprises a cylinder 22 having a toppreferably formed of cast iron 23. This top, as shown. is provided witha plurality of lugs 24 and the cylinder has a plurality of co-operatingears 25 which align with the lugs, andby passing bolts through the lugsand ears, the top may be securely clamped in position. This top isprovided with a hose connecting opening 26 and with a branched portconduit 27. One branch of this conduit is connected to the exhauster andthe opposite branch 29 has arranged therein a relief valve. 0 On theunderside of the cover there is supported a hollow cone which at itsapex is connected to the inlet coupling 26 and at its bottom hasconnected thereto the lower end of the dust screen, the upper end of thedust screen being connected to the underside of the cover. Beneath theseparating chamber there is mounted a removable bucket 30 whichconstitutes in effect, a part of the separator and is detachablyconnected in position by means of hooks 31 arranged to engage over ears32 secured to and extending from the side of the cylinder.

For securing the separator in position on the frame I provide at the topand bottom of the cylinder, a pair of arcuate plates 33 which arepreferably secured to the cylinder by spot welding and have laterallyextending ears 34 secured to the two front corner posts 1 by means ofscrews 35. It is thus seen that the two side frames constituting thesupporting frame work, are tied together at their front by means of theseparator.

Supported on the frame work and extending between the two lowerintermediate connecting rods 10 I mount an exhauster base 36 which ispreferably cast iron. This base at its outer edges rests upon theinturned sides of the angle 10 and is secured in position by bolts 37passing through the base and through the angles. The two side frames arethus additionally tied together at this point. Mountedabove and on topof the base, is the exhauster 38 which is connected by means of the pipe39 withthe exhaust couplin 28. Secured on the underside of the base isanoil collector and mutller 40 which is provided with a plurality oflaterally extending cars 41 through which, bolts extendingthrough'thebase pass for securing the collector and mufller in position. Thiscollector and muffler communicate by means of an opening in the basewith an exhaust muiller 42 mounted on the upper side of the base. Ifdesired, a pipe connection may be made at this point instead of themuiiler and a blowing connection thus established.

Mounted upon and extending between the upper intermediate horizontalbars 7 is the supporting base 43 for the driving motor. This base on oneside is provided with two pairs of ears 44, each pair being arranged toengage on opposite sides of post 45 bolted to the frame and are adaptedto rest in hearing guides 46. A pivot pin passes through the ears andthe posts to thereby secure the base rigidly to the sidemember 7. On theopposite side member 7 I provide a vertically extending guide andsupporting plate 47 which at its lower end is provided with a securinglug 48 preferably spot welded on to the side member 7, and at its upperend has an overhangin ear 49. The motor base is provided with a liracket50 having extending therethrough a bolt 51 which also extends through aslot 52 in the .plate 47.

Passing downwardly through the ear 49 is an adjusting screw 53 whichextends throughthe free end of the bolt 51. By tightening the nut thebracket 50 may be clamped to the plate 47, orby loosening the nut thebracket may be disengaged from this plate to permit the verticaladjustment of the motor base by means of the screw 53.

The motor 54 which is mounted on the base 48.has its pulle 55 connectedby means of a belt 56 with the pulley 57 of the ex-. hauster, and theabove described means for vertically adjusting the base of the motorprovides a means for maintaining the belt tension between the pulleys ofthe motor and the exhauster.

The motor and exhauster parts are all mounted within the frame, and forenclosing these parts, protecting them against dust, enclosing themoving parts of the apparatus, and preventing oil being splattered bythese moving parts, I provide removable panels for the frame work, aswell as a removable bottom oil collecting tray, and a removable toptray.

The bottom oil tray 58'comprises a fiat tray having an upturned edgeflange 59 and the side frames. Vertically extending on" each of the sidepanels 60 is an inturned flange 61 adapted to lap over the corner posts,and the metal of the top of the side panel is bent to form a hookedshaped rest 62 arranged to engage over. the top side brace. 3. The metalof the bottom of the panel is inturned and then bent downwardly to forma lip 63 which,,when the panel is inserted in position, engages behindthe vertical side of the bottom side angle 11 whereby the panel isslidingly secured in position, and in order to more securely lock thepanel in place I provide on the inner face thereof, spring clips 64which are arranged to engage over the corner braces 9. Whilev I haveshown and described these clips 64 which are preferably spot welded inposition on the panels, these clips, if desired, may be dispensed with,as the hoolrflange 62 and engaging lip 63 I find under some circumestances are quite sufiicient to hold the panel in position.

Arranged at the front of the frame-work and immediately adjacent toseparator, I provide a switch housing 65 which is preferably formed ofsheet metal and has a pair of downwardly extending sides provided without-turned lips 66 resting onthe her:-

zontal sides of the top angle members 3 and bolted thereto. This housingis also provided with a downwardly extending front lip 67, and thehousing at its opposite side, is cut away to make a close fit with theseparator cylinder. In addition to the switch housing which partiallycovers the top. I provide a top tray 68 having upturned side and endflanges 69 and 70. The end flange adjacent to the switch housing isslightly notched out as in 71 so that this end flange when the tray isplaced in position may engage under the side wall 67 of the housing andbe thereby locked in position relatively to the housing. The oppositeend of the tray bears against the inturned side of the angles formingthe two rear posts and the tray rests upon the inturned side of the sideangles 3.

Extending vertically on the two rear posts and spaced apart from thesides thereof, I provide a pair of guides 72 for he front panel 73 whichpanel consists merely of a flat sheet of metal adapted to slide betweenthese guides and the sides of the posts, and thereby be held inposition. The top of the front panel has its edges bent to form a hookedlip 74 which, when the panel is inserted in position, engages over theupturned flange 70 of the top tray to interlock therewith.

For the purpose of moving the apparatus about from point to point, andto enable ready handling of the same, I provide a handle 7 5 which issecured between the handle brackets 76 bolted to the two rear f endposts.

In order that the hose may be moved to different positions withoutturning the entire machine a hollow threaded stud 77 is screw threadedin to the opening 26. Near its upper end this stud is provided with acollar 78 and above the collar with an annular groove 79. An elbowSOhaving a hose coupling 81 fits over the upper end of the stud beinglimited in its downward movement by the collar 78 and is provided with ascrew or pin 82 fitting in the groove 79 to prevent the elbow from beingdisplaced and at the same time permit it to swivel on the stud.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it willbe understood that various modifications and changes may be made thereinWithout departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire .tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, wheels onsaid frame, wall members detachably secured to said frame, an exhausterand a motor mounted within said frame and operatively associated, avertical separator secured to one end of said frame and arrangedexteriorly with respect thereto, and forming a rigid end wall of saidcasing, a dust collecting receptacle detachably secured to the base ofsaid separator, and means for operatively connecting said separator withsaid exhauster, substantially as specified.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, wheels onsaid frame,

a handle secured to said frame at one end thereof, removable wallmembers for said frame, means for detachably securing said wall membersto said frame, an exhauster and a motor mounted within said frame andoperati ly associated, a tray on said frame at the bottom thereof, avertical separator secured to one end of said frame and arrangedexteriorly with respect thereto and orming a rigid end wall, a dustcollecting receptacle detachably connected to the base of said separatorand retaining said tray in position on said frame and means foroperatively connecting said separator with said exhauster, substantiallyas specified.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. SUTTON.

Witnesses:

F. K. HOUSTON, G. V. KLAEGER.

